Manure spreaders for handling slurry material generally include a tank for containing material, an auger rotatably mounted in the bottom of the tank for moving material toward an opening formed in the tank, and an expeller disposed at the opening in the tank to discharge material in a lateral direction from the spreader. One prior manure spreader of this type disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,272 includes a drive system consisting of a pair of gearboxes for rotating the auger and the expeller. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved manure spreader drive system that is more reliable and more economical than the drive system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,272.
The present invention provides a novel drive system for rotating the auger and the expeller in the type of manure spreader generally described above. In one embodiment, the drive system includes a shaft adapted for connection to a tractor PTO, first and second drive members mounted on the shaft for rotation in a first direction, a third drive member connected to the first drive member for rotation in the first direction, and a fourth drive member connected for rotation with the third drive member in the first direction. This embodiment of the drive system also includes a fifth drive member connected to the fourth drive member for rotation in a second direction which is opposite the first direction. The fifth drive member is connected to the auger to rotate the auger in the second direction, and means are also provided connecting the second drive member to the expeller to rotate the expeller in the first direction.
In another embodiment of the drive system of the present invention, the third drive member is connected to the first drive member for rotation in the second direction. The fourth drive member is connected for rotation with the third drive member in the second direction, and the fifth drive member is connected to the fourth drive member for rotation in the second direction. The fifth drive member is connected to the auger to rotate the auger in the second direction, and means are provided connecting the second drive member to the expeller to rotate the expeller in the first direction.